The Kentucky Military History Museum admission is included with admission to the Old State Capitol…read morebuilding. Our family visited last week. The building, complete with turrets, served as the second state arsenal after fire destroyed the first building near the Old State Capitol. Architect Nathaniel Cooke designed the arsenal in the 1850s. The arsenal was captured by the Confederates during the Civil War but later reclaimed by Union troops. Today, the building serves as a museum of weapons, artillery and memorabilia from early U.S. wars through present. I found, of most interest, the stories and memorabilia of Kentucky residents that served in various wars. There are two floors of museum, which are accessible by elevator or stairs. The museum is immaculate. A curator is available to answer questions. Free parking is available in their dedicated lot. The museum is worth a visit if you like military history.

Was in town exploring a couple of distilleries and decided to stop in the museum on the way out of…read moretown. Wish we would have stopped in earlier so we could have checked out the other museums in the area. There are lots of weapons in the museum and lots of stories told in the artifacts. We will have to come back to explore the other museums.

Beautiful venue for a wedding. Staff was amazing and the ground speak for themselves! A hidden gem!read more

We attended our first high tea at the Orlando Brown House followed by a tour of Liberty Hall. Both…read morehouses were original Brown properties. Both are beautiful and historic. The high tea was tasty with tea exclusively made for Historic Liberty Hall. Once finished with the high tea we were escorted down the street to Liberty Hall where we began our tour of this impressive and historic site. If I am correct the buildings remained in the family until 1934 when it was deemed a historic site and became a museum. To actually have so much of the original furnishings is astounding.

The land boasts historical significance for more than two hundred years. It was passed down…read morethrough the family of Captain David Shely of Virginia and has gone through numerous hands, including the duPont family, as a stallion station. Currently, it is owned by thoroughbred trainer Ken McPeek and operated as a 115 acre premier boarding and training facility that has been beautifully restored. The name Magdalena honors a Matriarch of the Shely family. A pre Civil War cemetery sits on the back of the property as well as one for many of the horses that passed through the lives of those who maintained the farm. The former breeding shed has been transformed into a guest house that is available on Air B&B. A lovely place to wake up with coffee on the deck with a view of the farm.

The Mary Todd Lincoln House in Lexington was a really interesting place to visit and definitely…read moreworth checking out if you're in the area. It's amazing to walk through a home that has such a direct connection to both Mary Todd Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln and to see the rooms where Mary spent part of her childhood. The house itself is beautiful and has a lot of character. The period furnishings, family portraits, artwork and other artifacts really help bring the history to life. I especially enjoyed being able to walk from room to room and actually see the kind of home Mary grew up in rather than just reading about her in a history book. One thing I really liked was learning more about Mary Todd Lincoln herself. She was much more than simply Abraham Lincoln's wife, and the exhibits do a good job showing her life from her childhood in Lexington through her years as First Lady and later in life. There are a lot of interesting details about her education, family and experiences that I didn't know before visiting. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the self-guided format was nice because we could take our time and really look at everything without feeling rushed. The small garden behind the house was also a nice touch and gave us a peaceful place to walk around after touring the home. The location in downtown Lexington is convenient too, and it's easy to combine this with other things to see, restaurants and attractions in the area. There's also a complimentary downtown walking tour available, which is a nice bonus. Overall, this was a great historical experience. If you enjoy American history, presidential history, historic homes or just visiting unique places that have a real story behind them, I would definitely recommend the Mary Todd Lincoln House. Beautiful historic home, fascinating history, knowledgeable staff and a really interesting look into Mary Todd Lincoln's life. Definitely 5 stars

If you are even remotely interested in American history, presidential families, or powerful women…read moreahead of their time, stop scrolling and just go. The Mary Todd Lincoln House is a beautifully preserved window into the early life of a complex First Lady and the turbulent times she lived through. We opted for the guided tour, and it was absolutely the right choice. Phillip was our guide, and he didn't just recite facts. He gave perspective. Thoughtful, objective, and deeply knowledgeable, he handled the complicated dynamics of a slave-owning border state with grace and clarity. He was also incredibly kind in his portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln, helping us see her not as a caricature, but as a layered, resilient, and deeply human figure. Each room is meticulously curated. Not every item was original to the Todd or Lincoln families, but everything was period appropriate and helped tell the story. The artifacts weren't just on display. They became part of the narrative, which made it all the more engaging. What surprised me most was how much the visit made me reflect on grief ... her profound losses, her perseverance, and the emotional weight she carried as First Lady during the Civil War. It gave me a new respect for her. And even better? My wife, who is not a big history buff, was the one who suggested we go, and she loved it. That says a lot. The whole tour ran a little over an hour and was the perfect pace. Despite the unseasonably hot June day, the air conditioning kept us comfortable, and the staff were welcoming from start to finish. Bonus points for the gift shop, it's small, but full of genuinely cool and thoughtful items. Well worth the money. Perfect for history buffs, curious minds, and even the skeptics. Educational, immersive, and honest. This isn't just a house. It is a home full of stories. And thanks to Phillip, we walked out with a deeper understanding of the people and times that shaped a presidency and a nation.

Located on South Main Street, in Winchester, I've driven by this place tens times. It's an old…read morehospital building, and they describe it as a signature Romanesque Revival building. It's three levels of bluegrass heritage, history, artifacts, etc. We were exploring the Hemp Fest this weekend and this was a recommended stop. They had a shuttle taking you to and from the fest. They recently added a hemp exhibit here, so this was a great opportunity to bring people in. Today they had a lady spinning hemp fiber and explaining that process and more. There was another volunteer in the hemp exhibit area. She too was super knowledgeable. I was surprised to learn how much hemp farming is part of the Winchester history. Located on the third floor, is the surgery room. As I walked around up there, I literally experienced the cold chills knowing the demise of many people in years past. If you work or are interested in the health field I definitely would recommend checking it out. That's not all on the top floor, but I'll leave the rest for you to discover. The second floor was my favorite. That's where the military history is. Usually I'm not too fascinated by history, but I was pleasantly surprised here. It was astounding to learn about the amount of the people who were drafted and served in several wars. The history that involved Clark Countians, was beyond intriguing to me. I'll post some exhibit photos. Don't miss it though, especially if you're a Kentuckian or if you're intrigued by history.

THIS ISN'T A MUSIC HISTORY MUSEUM I'm from California and I thought bluegrass was just a type of…read moremusic but I'm so happy I stopped by- it's a whole region! This museum has historical documents and artifacts that predate the state of Kentucky - the museum is run by former educators and they've put a lot of love and effort into this place- even restored floors and matched paint from its hospital days. I spent practically the whole four hours it was open wandering around with my tour guide and I feel like there was more to talk about. This woman was digging around attics and stuff getting old log books and things that by all reasonable people would have been lost to time and negligence and safeguarding them for the future. She was a fount of information and you can tell she cares a lot about the place and the history of the people that lived in Winchester. There's a whole room dedicated to military members and artifacts from various wars- long rifles and french phrase books, uniforms and captured flags. The whole museum is so well designed. I absolutely suggest you stop here if you're anywhere within a hundred miles, it's well worth it.

The Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort is an amazing modern facility that preserves the…read morehistory of Kentucky. Admission is included with ($8) admission to the Old State Capitol building. We spent about an hour walking through the exhibits and learning. Many of the exhibits are hands-on and educational. The path through starts with the history of indigenous people of Kentucky through modern day. I found the many artifacts displayed very interesting. Information and additional artifacts about the early settlers of Kentucky were interesting as well. A separate area in the museum houses portraits of all the governors of Kentucky. Upstairs is a research library. The gift shop offers various souvenirs, books and locally crafted items for sale. The center is worth a visit if you love history and especially good for kids. There is a dedicated parking lot for the museum, but we found free street parking down the street.

My husband, our two kids (ages 4 and 8), and I had the most wonderful time celebrating the 4th of…read moreJuly at the Kentucky Historical Society. There were so many fun activities for the children, and it was the perfect place to stay cool out of the summer heat. The absolute highlight of our day was visiting the gift shop and meeting Delaney. She was incredibly sweet, answered all of our questions, and even put a beautiful red ribbon in my daughter's hair. She chatted with us throughout the day and truly made us feel so welcome--she is an absolute gem in the middle of downtown Frankfort! My kids are absolutely in love with their new toys, and I will cherish the gorgeous Ginkgo leaf earrings my husband bought me. Thank you for making our holiday weekend so special! Much love, the Blair family from Lexington

We dropped into this museum on a whim. To be honest, we were looking for something interesting to…read moredo that would also take us out of the cold and windy weather! I'm so glad that we did! The museum has very interesting and well-designed exhibits. We were greeted at the entrance by a gentleman who gave us the "lay of the land", explaining that this museum focuses on the history of Frankfort and surrounding Franklin County, while a larger museum down the street (but closed on Mondays) covers all of Kentucky. He then gave us an overview of what to expect over the two floors of exhibits. A few of our favorite exhibits were: (1) Kentucky Bourbon; (2) Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives; (3) Frankfort and Film (Quick: what's Johnny Depp's connection to Frankfort?); and (4) the Goebal Assassination. The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. (No pressure but useful to continue their food work!)

Fantastic museum! Many artifacts, Frankfort has a surprisingly interesting history!! The museum is…read morequite big and if you have a free hour or so it's definitely worth a visit!!

Iconic Calumet Farm stands proudly with its red and white barns, and their "devil" red racing silks…read morewere a staple in horseracing for many years. Nearly 100 years has seen some of the great horses in their barns and grazing on their beautiful rolling green landscape. Who isn't tempted to glance toward Calumet while driving Versailles Road. 2 Triple Crown winners, 8 Kentucky Derby winners, 8 Preakness winners, 5 Horse of the Year titles only scratch the surface of the honors seen by Calumet. With 12 stallions, including those standing regionally, the legacy continues.